Certain medical procedures involve the placement of a patient inside an enclosed chamber, particularly one whose walls are in fairly close proximity to the patient's body. Such procedures generally require the patient to lie motionless for an extended period of time. In addition, the patient is frequently subjected to sounds and noises made by the chamber or equipment associated with it. Examples of such procedures are various imaging and scanning procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging, diagnostic ultrasound, and computerized axial tomography (CAT scanning).
Certain persons suffer from claustrophobia or other types of conditions or mental states which render them susceptible to fear or anxiety during such procedures. For such persons, these procedures can be a frightening experience. Indeed, many find themselves incapable of withstanding such procedures, and either do not schedule such procedures at all, or are unable to complete the procedure, requiring it to be terminated before sufficient data have been obtained.
Occurrences such as these are often a source of embarrassment to the patient. In addition, they present difficulties to diagnostic and analytical facilities where such procedures are performed. These facilities generally schedule these procedures on a closely timed consecutive basis. If a patient requires a procedure to be terminated before its completion and then restarted, the scheduling can be upset, and time is wasted if not lost entirely. The presence of technical and medical personnel is also needed, and the costs incurred by the facility will increase substantially if excessive time is needed for any one procedure.
Alternatively, the patient is placed under sedation or, in some cases, general anesthesia, before the procedure is performed. This requires preparation and the presence of a qualified specialist or anesthesiologist, plus recovery time, all of which add considerably to the expense and time needed for the procedure.
Also relevant to the present invention is the technique of biofeedback, or the conscious regulation of one's bodily functions. These are functions such as heartbeat or blood pressure which are otherwise, or generally thought to be, involuntary. The regulation of these functions by force of will requires intense relaxation and concentration on the part of the subject, and frequently the need to maintain silence and a motionless posture for extended periods. Difficulties encountered by those attempting biofeedback include a feeling of vulnerability and exposure to one's surroundings, and a sense of embarrassment in front of others present either intentionally or by chance. The result is a loss of the ability to concentrate, or disruptions in the continuity of the concentration and relaxation necessary to achieve effective biofeedback.
The present invention addresses these and related difficulties both in connection with chamber-type medical procedures and biofeedback by offering a means of shielding the subject to produce the psychological effect of isolation and encapsulation while exposing the subject to messages or sounds of a nature appropriate to the desired result.
In embodiments related to overcoming the fear and anxiety of enclosed spaces encountered in chamber-type medical procedures, the invention prepares a subject before going to a medical facility where the procedure is to take place. In this aspect, the invention is specifically directed to those persons who suffer from claustrophobia and other related fears and anxieties which interfere with or prevent their ability to undergo medical procedures of this type. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the subject uses a device in the form of a small enclosure or shell designed to fit over at least the subject's head and optionally the subject's upper body or even the entire body, thereby giving the subject a mental impression similar to the experience of placing his or her head, if not entire body or substantial portion thereof, inside the actual chamber used in the medical procedure. The device is supplemented by a recording which mimics the sounds which the subject will hear when undergoing the actual procedure. Beyond these similarities to the actual chamber, the device will differ from the chamber in various ways, including the fact that it will be readily removable by the subject and will lack any of the actual equipment or functional features of the chamber.
In embodiments related to biofeedback inducement, the subject uses a similar small enclosure or shell, again designed to fit over at least the subject's head and optionally the subject's upper body or even the entire body, thereby giving the subject a mental impression of isolation, protection and security. The shell is preferably supplemented by a biofeedback recording, and the subject's susceptibility and response to the recording is enhanced by the use of the shell.
Other features, aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.